Did you know that the NFL has been using Surface tablets for over a year now to help assist coaches with the analyzation of plays? In short, coaches used to (and some still) use printers for pictures of plays so coaches, players, and other staff can look over which formations teams use throughout the game taken via cameras in the end zones and high up at midfield. Nowadays Surface 2 tablets are used in order to get the images during plays rather than after, plus the staff doesn’t have to wait for the printers to print.

The NFL is becoming the U.S.’s most high-tech sport! In fact, the partnership is growing in 2015 with new uses enabled by the Surface 3. The weather-ready Surface 3 allows coaches to display more images on-screen, use multiple colors for markups, and even has a whiteboard for jotting down ideas between plays. During the preseason, coaches will even be allowed to use their Surface 3s for video replays! On their tablet, they can zoom and even take down notes using the stylus–which can write during any weather conditions. But coaches will have to hold off until next year (maybe) to use their tablets during the games that actually count.

You might think using tablets on the sidelines is a little over the top for the NFL, but the tech frenzy doesn’t stop there. Microsoft is actually introducing the HoloLens for virtual reality training systems.

But what about the fans? Microsoft is rolling out its new version of its Xbox One NFL app, which is also making its way to Windows 10 later this month. The NFL is launching its Game Pass service, which replaces Game Rewind from last year, for $9.99 per month. Don’t worry, game stats, fantasy stats, and highlights will still be offered for free.

Perhaps the most interesting feature fans will be able to use this season is Next Gen Stats. This application uses the new motion tracker chips embedded in player uniforms for the 2015 season to track distance and speed. This will allow you to actually see the plays that each team runs!

The NFL is truly becoming a next-generation sport thanks to all of the technology that is being introduced. With coaches and teams utilizing things like the Surface Tablet, we are seeing the beginning of the future of both technology and professional sports.

Microsoft has released updates for its Surface Pro 3 devices, allowing the tablet/laptops to run the new Windows 10 operating system.

That’s one of the changes the company announced this week with its new firmware for the Surface Pro 3 and its sister product, the Surface 3.

The changes happen automatically through Windows Update, but can also be performed manually in five steps:

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and hit Settings. (If you’re using a mouse, aim it at upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and click Settings.)
2. Tap or click Change PC settings, and choose Update and recovery.
3. Choose Check now.
4. Assuming the updates are available, choose “View details.”
5. Pick the updates you want to install, and tap or click “Install.”

You may need to restart the device after the updates install.
The company announced the updates last week, but if you haven’t gotten them yet, don’t panic. The company says on its website:

“When Surface updates are provided via the Windows Update service, they are delivered in stages to Surface customers. As a result, not every Surface will receive the update at the same time, but the update will be delivered to all devices. If you have not received the update, please manually check Windows Update later.”

According to Microsoft, the changes for the Surface Pro 3 include:

A UEFI update that adds support for new features in Windows 10.

An update to the wireless network controller and Bluetooth driver update that improves system stability and the Wi-Fi connectivity, while also increasing network download performance.

There are few different phrases, idioms, and proverbs that many of us go by. One saying may be more true than any other one: timing is everything. One simple timing error can cause a disaster. Having bad timing can ruin anything from a first date to quarterly sales for a company. Speaking of quarterly sales involving companies, bad timing may be affecting a large company right now. I’m talking about Microsoft’s Surface tablet sales. According to a sales report recently released by the company, the sales for this particular tablet have plummeted quite a bit. Now Microsoft is looking to see what changes need to be made in order to help bring sales for the Surface back up.

While the earnings report was looking pretty rough at a 44% drop in sales, the previous quarter prior to this was the holiday season quarter. Having said that, that can only attribute to so much loss in revenue. I mean we are talking going from $893 million down to $500 million in sales. It almost leaves something to be desired by the market itself in a way. Apple saw some decline as well. 33% loss in revenue is still bad, but Microsoft’s 44% loss is just hard to overlook.

You have to figure that since almost a billion dollars of Microsoft’s revenue came from their Surface Tablet back in 2013, you’d think such a decline like that wouldn’t be possible unless something detrimental happened with the product. Even though, hardware wise, there may be nothing wrong with the product itself, there are still some factors that Microsoft may just now be taking into consideration.

The Surface 2 is now one of the last few devices from Microsoft running Windows RT. For those of you who don’t know, Windows RT is a version of Windows OS that is made to optimize performance on tablets at the cost of running older apps on the software. This is where this becomes a problem. There are so many other tablets out on the market currently that are running with Windows 8.1 instead of Windows RT. To the average consumer, having the latest operating software on your tech is a big deal. If they are getting that from another company, then Microsoft is going to lose money. Aside from the Surface 2 lacking in the OS department, there is yet another big thing missing from the Surface line up. The name is small, but the demand is pretty big. A “Surface Mini.”

Yes, you may as well be selling the masses a smaller version of the exact thing that they already have, but if people keep buying it it’s just going to become that much more appealing. With Apple still leading the pack, and products like the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 out on the market currently, Microsoft is being left in the dust with nothing to show for it. However, rumors are beginning to circulate that Microsoft may just get with the times and release something soon. Possibly by mid-May, we could see a new Surface Mini.

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That may not help though. Another thing to consider is that Apple and it’s software now have access to Microsoft’s Office programs. This was a big deciding factor for most when trying to see what product would be deemed as more “productive” for the customer, and could have hurt Surface sales.

The odds are definitely not in Microsoft’s favor at the moment, as far as the Surface tablet goes. If they don’t do something dramatic with the new Surface Mini, they should only expect their revenue for the Surface line to continue declining.

Microsoft recently announced that it has relaxed a Windows 8 certification requirement, allowing devices with lower resolutions. According to analysts, this move signals that Microsoft could be the next company in the industry to make the shift to smaller, less expensive tablets.

According to IDC Analyst Bob O’Donnell, “The sub-eight-inch part of the tablet market will be growing this year to about 55% of the entire market. Microsoft hasn’t even been playing in that segment, and they needed to do something.” Microsoft laid out all the details of the new relaxed rule in a newsletter released March 12 by its certification program. The program oversees use of the Windows logos that OEMs display on their hardware.

Microsoft made it clear in the newsletter that even though it will allow lower-resolution devices, it would still prefer that original equipment manufacturers continue to work with higher resolution screens. Microsoft also detailed that the exact specifications of the new resolution are 1,024 x 768 pixels.

According to the newsletter, “This doesn’t imply that we’re encouraging partners to regularly use a lower screen resolution. In fact, we see customers embracing the higher-resolution screens that make a great Windows experience. We understand that partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful.”

The previous stipulations of the Windows 8 certification, which also applied to Windows RT, required screens with a minimum 1,366 x 768 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. This lower resolution rule would allow for tablets running Windows 8 and RT to be smaller in size, comparable to Apple’s new iPad Mini.

This move by Windows is obviously an attempt to stay competitive with the two other big names in the tablet industry, Apple and Samsung. Smaller Windows 8 tablets would be able to compete against Apple’s iPad Mini and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.

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Microsoft has announced the release date for their Surface with the Windows 8 Pro operating system as February 9th, 2013.

The Surface with Windows 8 Pro has gone through a major overhaul when compared to the Surface with Windows RT.

The Windows 8 Pro operating system will allow users to continue using Windows 7 applications and will integrate with your existing infrastructure. The security system underwent significant upgrades. AppLocker and Group Policy will now allow application and security policy control. BitLocker gives the user the enhanced data protection. Furthermore, Windows 8 Pro is compatible with third party security systems.

The Surface Pro with Windows 8 offers more memory than the Surface with Windows RT. The Surface Pro comes in both 128 GB and 64GB models with 7GB of free cloud storage. Each model is packed with 4GB of RAM. The Surface Windows RT comes with only 32GB or 64GB models.

The screen is another Upgrade with the standard now being a 10.6″ with 16:9 and 1920×1080.

The new system is now 13.5 mm in thickness and weighs 2 lbs. In comparison the Windows RT is 9.3 mm in thickness while weighing in at 1.5 lbs.

USB port is now a 3.0 versus the 2.0 and the HD video out port has been replaced with a Mini Display Port. The Mini Display Port is an open source port and allows for higher resolutions using smaller connections.